LITTLE ROCK  A House panel is considering legislation that would allow faculty and staff at Arkansas’ colleges and universities to carry concealed handguns.

The House Education Committee on Tuesday was expected to consider a proposal by Republican Rep. Charlie Collins of Fayetteville to allow the concealed weapons on public college campuses. Collins has said he plans to amend the proposal to allow public colleges and universities to opt out of allowing the weapons and revisit the issue annually.

The opt-out provision would allow the schools’ governing boards to make the decisions for specific campuses and buildings. His proposal already includes an opt-out provision for private colleges and universities.

The measure is among several aimed at loosening state gun laws that legislators are considering after Republicans won the House and Senate last year.

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This is progress?? What about jobs, jobs, jobs, highways, the cost of gasoline, bread, milk and insurance???? These legislators are living in a child's world completely divorced from the reality of everyday life.

The Democrats are too busy trying to prevent jobs from happening in the state so they can keep more on welfare thus securing more votes. All you have to do is look at the comments on the steel and paper mills

Allowing a citizen to defend themselves should be a number 1 priority. I hope this passes just as it has already passed in other states for the past few years. This isn't about putting guns in the hands of criminals... This is about law biding citizens staying alive..

Maddjack:.Police organizations which endorse the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013. International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators International Association of Chiefs of Police Major Cities Chiefs Association National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Police Executive Research Forum Police Foundation Women in Federal Law Enforcement.feinstein.senate. gov/public/index.cfm/assault-weapons."Increases in criminals’ use of certain types of guns: The expiration in 2004 of a 10-year-old federal law banning semiautomatic “assault weapons” has received a great deal of attention in Washington. PERF’s survey revealed significant support for the proposition that the expiration of the law has caused problems for local police. Thirty-seven percent of the police agencies responding to PERF’s survey reported that they have seen noticeable increases in criminals’ use of assault weapons. However, an even larger number of agencies—53 percent—reported seeing increases in large-caliber handguns, such as .40 caliber weapons. And 38 percent of the police departments reported noticeable increases in criminals’ use of semiautomatic weapons with high-capacity magazines, holding 10 or more rounds (magazines holding more than 10 rounds were also banned by the expired assault weapons law).".feinstein.senate. gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve/?File_id=40f529c9-edf2-4492-a424-348412b283c2.Police support for the Assault Weapons Ban speaks volumes about the number of "police reports" of this epidemic problem and have called for the logical solution..!!!